Some formaldehyde is produced industrially by the oxidation of paraffin hydrocarbons, but the greatest amount is manufactured by the oxidation of methanol. When methanol is used as the raw material, two chemical reactions may be employed. In one process, a catalyst is used for the vapor-phase oxidation of methanol. In the other process, a combination of oxidation-dehydrogenation is used to convert methanol to formaldehyde.
Regardless of the process used to produce formaldehyde, certain disadvantages are inherent in existing technologies. The oxidation of hydrocarbons results in a complex mixture of products that are difficult to separate. Processes based on methanol are dependent on a raw material that fluctuates widely in availability and cost. Industrial grade formaldehyde is sold as aqueous solutions with concentrations ranging from 36 to 56 weight percent formaldehyde.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the synthesis of formaldehyde starting with methane, which is the main component of natural gas. The process should be both efficient and robust.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying figures.